State

If Roe falls, abortion patients in Illinois could skyrocket two to five times current level

By James T. Norman
A crowd of people gather outside the Supreme Court, early Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Washington. A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. It's unclear if the draft represents the court's final word on the matter. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft Politico posted, which if verified marks a shocking revelation of the high court's secretive deliberation process, particularly before a case is formally decided. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A crowd of people gather outside the Supreme Court, early Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Washington. A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. It's unclear if the draft represents the court's final word on the matter. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft Politico posted, which if verified marks a shocking revelation of the high court's secretive deliberation process, particularly before a case is formally decided. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon/AP)

The number of patients seeking an abortion within Illinois could increase two to five times the current levels if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Illinois officials said Tuesday.

A leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, originally reported by Politico Monday night, showed a majority decision on a case that could lead to the overturning of the benchmark decision that legalized access to abortion nationwide.

If the Supreme Court does overturn Roe, some states surrounding Illinois could see an influx of patients coming to Illinois for those services, said Mary Jane Maharry, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

More than a dozen states, including Kentucky and Missouri, have trigger laws on the books that would ban abortion if Roe is overturned. Iowa has a ban on abortion starting at six weeks and Wisconsin has an unenforced law restricting abortion that predates Roe.

Indiana law generally prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Indiana lawmakers didn’t pursue major anti-abortion action during this year’s session, but if the court overturns Roe, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb could call the Legislature into a special session so they can act without having to wait until 2023.

The Roe v. Wade decision was “erroneous,” Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Amy Gehrke said at a news conference Tuesday. She also took aim at the leak from the Supreme Court, calling it an “egregious act.”

“Every abortion ... takes the life of an unborn child and puts that child at extreme risk for both emotional and physical trauma,” she said.

Restrictive abortion laws in other states have caused many patients to seek abortion services in neighboring states. Planned Parenthood clinics in Illinois have seen a 30% increase in patients from out-of-state in recent months, Maharry said.

As a result, the number of patients seeking an abortion in Illinois could rise between two and five times the current number due to the potential influx from neighboring states, Maharry said.

“That’s as the surrounding states start implementing their bans and restrictions, which we expect the majority of our bordering states to,” Maharry said.

Meanwhile, due to various laws in Illinois that allow for abortion services, patients within Illinois shouldn’t expect much of a change, said Amy Whitaker, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

Over the past several years, Illinois has codified several laws in this area, such as the Reproductive Health Act, which makes an abortion a fundamental right, Whitaker said. Another law, set to take effect June 1, will eliminate the requirement that minors must notify their parents before seeking an abortion, Whitaker said.

Communicating with clinic networks in other states, many are preparing for abortion to be restricted or banned, Whitaker said. Those providers would start directing patients to clinics that still offer services the patients are seeking.

“A lot of patients won’t know they have those options,” Whitaker said. “What happens with these bans is ... patients don’t realize they do have the ability to access abortions.”

Those who could be affected the most are those who are marginalized, such as low-income or patients of color, Whitaker said.

“They have unequal access to health care and they are going to be very disproportionally hurt by these bans,” she said. “This is going to affect those who are struggling much worse.”

Planned Parenthood has 17 clinics across the state, all of which offer medication-based abortion and five of which provide procedural abortion, Whitaker said.

While some states have various requirements a patient must go through before they are able to have an abortion, the process is a straightforward one in Illinois, Whitaker said. In many cases, it can take place on the same day the appointment is set, she said, whether that’s a procedure or receiving the medication.

Illinois
James Norman

James T. Norman

James also goes by Jake and became a journalist to pursue a love of writing. He originally joined the ranks to be involved with football, but over time fell in love with community reporting and explaining policies. You can catch him at his computer or your local meeting.